After a year of learning, developing and getting stuck in, we recently celebrated the completion of our very first Assistant Contract Manager (ACM) Development Programme, marking the end of a rewarding learning journey for our aspiring ACMs.
And it’s fair to say they’ve covered a lot of ground.
Sixteen colleagues took part in the programme, which was created to give Site Managers the skills, knowledge and support they need to develop and build their confidence whilst practice some of the skills they need to become the best ACMs of the future that they could possibly be!
The group have explored everything from pre-mobilisation and planning through to mobilisation, people and relationships, commercial awareness, operational excellence, social value and reporting. There have also been Lunch & Learn sessions, mentoring and work shadowing support and an excel masterclass, because no matter what the role is, there’s no escaping a bit of excel!
But the programme wasn’t just about sitting in sessions and ticking boxes. It was about understanding the role from different angles, learning from people with experience and building the practical knowledge needed to develop as an ACM.
The final session, aptly titled ‘Pulling It All Together’, was a chance to take a breath and look back at the journey.
The group took a look at how far they’d come, any challenges they’ve faced, what they feel more confident doing and which parts of the programme made the biggest difference. They then built their own ‘ACM toolkit’, picking out the knowledge, skills and experience they think every new ACM should have in their toolbox, the stuff you’ll want to have to hand when the pressure’s on!
And lastly (and arguably most importantly), there was time to celebrate.
Each person shared a programme highlight they were particularly proud of, along with one thing they’re committing to over the next 90 days. This was a great chance to celebrate the wins, take note of how far they’ve come and get excited about putting it all into practice!
As our first cohort, they’ve also helped us learn. Their feedback on what worked well and what could be improved will help shape how we develop the programme for future colleagues, so they’ve left their mark on more than just their own development.
A huge well done to all 16 delegates for the commitment, enthusiasm and effort they’ve put in over the past year. You’ve all come a long way, and you should be rightly proud of it!
